THE GREAT BLESSING OF NOT HAVING JESUS WITH US
John 16:5-8
Dorn Ridge & York Manor June 24, 2012
INTRODUCTION:
1.) If you had the privilege of choosing what period of time you could live in, would you consider it a greater privilege to be alive now and in your present time, or when Jesus physically walked on this earth?
2.) Perhaps from a spiritual perspective, each one of us might choose to have seen Jesus personally, than to live by faith in the present.
3.) But Scripture would paint a far different picture of living during the actual time of Jesus compared with today.
A.) Jesus said: “It is for your good that I am going away.”
B.) Today, I want us to look at these words of Jesus, and try to understand why it would be better from a spiritual perspective to live here and now instead of having Jesus walk with us physically.
4.) To understand this, I want us to look at two pictures of God together with man.
I. THE PICTURE OF GOD WITH US.
1.) At the dawn of creation God was with man.
A.) In the Garden of Eden Adam walked and talked with God in the Garden.
aa.) Can you even imagine what that must have been like?
ab.) What a blessing that must have been, to have had that kind of fellowship and closeness with The Creator of the Universe!
aba.) But unfortunately this wonderful presence of God, and the blessed fellowship with Him did not last.
B.) Sin brought an end to the beauty of Eden, including the personal fellowship with God.
ba.) Even more than the beauty, what made Eden Paradise was the perfect communion with God.
2.) After that fellowship was severed by sin, there were still occasional times throughout the Old Testament, God was seen to be with man.
A.) The prophets received visions and dreams, from God.
aa.) Certainly this was not an everyday event, but whenever God would choose to speak with man, it was a special event.
B.) One of the few people who could talk one on one with God was Moses.
ba.) The relationship between Moses and God was a special one.
baa.) It was a relationship not given to many, and it was a tremendous honour and privilege.
bb.) God and Moses would speak with each other face to face.
bba.) Ex. 33:11
3.) Later on, the temple and more specifically the Ark of The Covenant within the temple represented God with man.
A.) In a symbolic presence, God was here with His people at all times.
aa.) His presence with Israel gave them great strength and comfort.
ab.) In fact, there were times when it seemed the people even worshipped God’s presence more than God Himself.
B.) But God’s presence was not to be considered a casual thing, or to be taken lightly.
ba.) It was not just anyone who could enter into the presence of God, but only the High Priest, and then only once a year, and even then, the regulations on how he would come in were very stringent.
bb.) To enter into the presence of God by any other person, or in any other manner would mean death.
bba.) God would give judgment and require that person’s death.
bc.) Later on, the hope of the presence of God became more real and personal to man.
4.) The Prophet Isaiah received a vision in which God would become personal and be with us in a physical and personal manner.
A.) That vision was a vision and prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ to become Immanuel: God with us.
aa.) Is. 7:14
B.) Isaiah went on to describe the impact it would have on the world for God to be with us in a physical person of Jesus.
ba.) Is. 9:1a., 2, 6-7
baa.) Isaiah paints for us a powerful picture of the blessing of that day of Immanuel – “God with us.”
bab.) It was the picture of a then future world of God in fellowship with man.
bb.) Certainly there were many aspects of this prophecy that would be revealed when Jesus came the first time.
bc.) There are other aspects of this prophecy that will be fulfilled when Jesus comes back the second and final time.
bd.) But regardless of when these aspects would be fulfilled regarding God with us, the reality of the human race is that the world is a different place because of Jesus coming into this world as God with us.
bda.) Through the person of Jesus the world came to know God.
5.) The fulfillment of Isaiah`s prophecy came 750 years later at Bethlehem.
A.) A young couple named Mary and Joseph was engaged to be married, and Mary was found to be pregnant.
aa.) Joseph had considered divorcing her because of her pregnancy.
ab.)Matt. 1:20-23
B.) From that day on for the next 33 years, the world had the experience of knowing what it was like to have “God with us.”
ba.) Jesus said “Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father.”
bb.) Particularly for the final three and a half of those years the world experienced the fullness of God with us.
bc.) Perhaps many, if not all of us stand envious of those first century people who had the experience of having God with them.
bca.) From our present vantage point we could say there would have been nothing any more special than to have walked and talked with Jesus, and to have seen him perform miracles.
6.) But according to the Words of Jesus there was something better than to have God with us.
A.) John 16:5-7
aa.) Jesus knew the days the world could have the presence of “God with us” would soon come to an end.
B.) As great of a privilege as it was to have God with us, the cross brought an end to the physical presence of God with us.
C.) From the time of the cross (or perhaps Pentecost) onward the Bible no longer speaks of God With us.
ca.) After the cross the Bible has an entirely new terminology to speak of man`s relationship with God.
cb.) That brings me to my second point:
II. THE PICTURE OF GOD WITHIN US.
1.) Jesus himself predicted that God would live within man.
A.) John 14:16-20
aa.) verse 17 Jesus said the Holy Spirit would live in us.
ab.) Verse 20 Jesus said: Ì am in you.
2.) The Apostle Paul stated God was in us.
A.) If we abide in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit lives within us.
aa.) Rom. 8:9
ab.) Certainly, this is a concept that is difficult to comprehend.
aba.) It is hard for us to believe that the God who created all things is able to make His dwelling place in the heart of man.
3.) But God wants to abide in us as His holy temple.
A.) Not only is God within us, but, God has chosen us to be His holy temple.
aa.) I Cor. 6:19-20
bb.) Paul tells us that because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to honour God with our bodies.
bba.) Such knowledge gives us a new consciousness for every aspect of our life and being in this present body.
4.) God is within us, and wants to empower us.
A.) Eph. 3:16-21
aa.) Vs. 16 ``Strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.”
ab.) Vs. 17 ``So that Christ may dwell in your hearts.
ac.) vs. 18 “May have power”
aca.) That power is from within us – the presence of God.
ad.)vs. 19 `Filled to the measure of all the fullness ` of God.
ae.) vs. 20”is able to do immeasurably more” (in us) “than all we ask or imagine.”
aea.) We then see the reason He can do more than we can ask or imagine:
aea-1.) (He) “`is at work within us.”
aea-2.) What a powerful thought. The reason that God is able to do so much more in our lives than what we could ever ask of Him, or imagine is that He is inside of us.
5.) The Apostle Paul assures us not only that God is dwelling within us, but that one day God dwelling within us with raise our bodies from the grave.
A.) Rom. 8:11
B.) Every person here is aging, and coming to the place our bodies are wearing out.
C.) Eventually, unless Christ comes before that, our bodies will go to the grave.
ca.) Because Christ is within us, He will resurrect us from the grave, into newness of life.
CONCLUSION:
1.) We may think and feel it would be so great to have been on this earth and to have seen Jesus teaching and performing miracles in the first Century.
2.) But Jesus said: “It is for your good that I am going away.”
3.) As I close today I want to present a scenario to you. I want you to imagine the reunions in heaven.
A.) As you imagine this I want you to imagine some of the people who were alive in Jesus’ day on this earth running up to meet you in heaven.
B.) Before you can even get the words out of your mouth of what it was like for them to have lived and walked with Jesus, they excitedly ask you what it was like and how wonderful it was for you to actually have God to dwell in you.
ba.) How would you answer them as they excitedly ask you what it was like to have Jesus actually living within your heart?
bb.) What was it like having his presence in you all the time?
bc.) What was it like to not have to seek Him out, but having in you to guide you every day?
C.) May we leave here today with perhaps a greater awareness than we have ever had before of how privileged we are to actually have God living within us today.
D.) And may we leave here today with such an awareness of the indwelling presence of God, that our lives will make others to want what we have, and to share God within us with them as well.
